Good Ding Doctor

[Bewilderbeast]

Can anybody out there recommend a good ding doctor in the UK on the south/south west coast?

I could probably do the job myself but this board is my pride and joy and I really what the job to be done properly.

Please help, the poor things missing the ocean

[scuba steve]

You probably need to be more specific on what area of the coast cos there is loads of shops that'll fix it for you. Especially down in Cornwall/Devon area.

Depending on how bad it is, I would just go to a regular surf shop by a repairing kit and do it yourself, you can't really get it wrong and the kit lasts for quite a few fixes.

[kitesurfer]

I could do it for you. Whereabouts are you exactly or send me a pm and if you can a couple of photos of the damage.

Regards

KS

[scuba steve]

Hey KS how did you get into shaping, did anyone teach you or did you just experiment yourself?

[kitesurfer]

It's just one of those things that had to be done. Me and my best decided we wanted to make kiteboards and that led onto surfboards. Started with shaping 101 and just had a go.
Why buy something if you can make it instead?
Gonna start making snowboards next year. With a bit of help from a friend.

[tomcat360]

KS, check out www.skibuilders.com

I know it's skis, but same thing goes for snowboards.

And since we're kinda on the topic, what board number are you on?

[kitesurfer]

Yep been there and there's here as well.

http://www.grafsnowboards.com/index.php?url=intro

KS

[kitesurfer]

And since we're kinda on the topic, what board number are you on?

18 with another 4 blanks already lined up waiting to go.
How many you done now t/c?

[Bewilderbeast]

Hey Kitesurfer.

Thanks for the offer man, sounds good. I gotta say I was quite impressed with your work on el_timmo's fish (well it looks great on the photo's anyway!).

I'm based near Oxford but I head down to North Devon most weekends it looks like there's gonna be some waves.

I'll see if I can russle up some pictures over the weekend and I'll pm them to you on Monday.

Cheers for the response lads.

[scuba steve]

Hey kitesurfer or tomcat.
I was gonna get into surfboard making but I hit a glitch, after you have finished hot coating and everything and you need to sand off the excess, dont you need an expensive air filter? That is the reason i ditched the idea. What do you guys do when it comes to sanding and pretty much just getting rid of all the dust and residue left over?

[kitesurfer]

To be honest shaping makes more of a mess i think, as does glassing, as does sanding. To be honest it's a pretty messy, smelly job. Maybe that's why i enjoy it so much!
I use 3m paper masks when sanding and shaping as you're only trying to stop air bourne paticles so no expense there as they (cough, cough) slip into my pocket at work. Bit of tuneless whislting coming from kiteys workshop. But for glassing i have a proper fume filter mask, it's ESSENTIAL!
Aside from that you have to accept that your gonna make a mess where you do it so make sure you can clean up after.

Do it!!!!

KS

[tomcat360]

I've shaped three or four (re-shaped one a couple times for practice, rubbish blank). So you could definately say rather novice. Although I was taught by someone, so that helped me kill the learning curve.

Only glassed one, halfway. Still waiting to do the top.

I got a respirator for like 30 bucks, which isn't at all bad, considering you are protecting your health. The little dusk mask, yeah, I slipped some from work as well, but they smell like fish(strange.....), and they seem to puff me in the eyes, so I just wear my other one for everything.

Fiberglass supply has them for like 10 bucks, and they are 3m so they are probably pretty nice.

So I don't know exactly what kinda filter you are talking about, but as KS said...


DO IT!!! you'll never regret it, I love it.

And yeah, it's a little dirty, considering that it's featured on dirty jobs. But really not that bad, just make sure you always glove up whenever you are gonna do any glass work, no matter how small, because when you are un gloved, things tend to escalade....quickly.

Shaping is just dusty, and if you aren't careless with glass, its not that messy. Smelly, yes, epoxy isn't though. But I don't really like epoxy that much.

[scuba steve]

Yeah id love to do it but I still have my doubts, the reason i asked the above question about sanding is because i heard all the particles a real bad for the environment and also if i did it in my garage then it would be bad for other peole going in, also when i added all the costs up it would cost more than buying new board, but i guess i can reuse most of the stuff.

[kitesurfer]

also when i added all the costs up it would cost more than buying new board, but i guess i can reuse most of the stuff.

?????
Are you refering to all the tools you'd need to buy? It's way cheaper to build your own board than it is to buy one, materials wise.
An alternative is if you have a garden and a large tent is to do the board in a tent in the garden when the weather improoves. Won't effect the other garage users.

KS

[Dec]

also when i added all the costs up it would cost more than buying new board, but i guess i can reuse most of the stuff.

Maybe it's expensive to set up..but then you can make loads of boards and sell them?!
Eventually everything would pay off.

[tomcat360]

Well think it this way--

You can sand outside. There are tons of other things worse for the environment.

The tools--all you really need, is a tri square (the adjustable type, for marking rail bands) a wood saw, around 14 ppi is good, a small finger plane, and a surform. You can do it all with that.

And some sand paper, some scrap wood, and some imagination to get it all to work.

All of my boards so far I have done entirely by the use of a surform. Really, there's not that much. It's nice to have a planer for skinning the blank and taking it to thickness, but I like using the surform, I feel it gives more accurate results. Also, a long flat block (like a 2x4) with some 36 grit paper helps.

And you can build stands outta 2x4s and get the buckets from a resturant for free, and 5 bucks on a bag of quickcrete.

Not that much. And you will accumulate more tools as you go along.

Definately you should go for it. Just take your time and do your research

[scuba steve]

Yeah that's really helpful guys, I might go and get my tools and stuff today. And yes i did mean the tools, but i watched shaping101 and glassing 101 and they have every tool in the book! Thats why i thought it would cost a lot to get underway.
KS, do you get your blanks from Homeblown, and do you get preshaped blanks or just normal ones? I was gonna get a kit but the cost a lot.

[scuba steve]

One final question: When you buy resin and the catalyst and the glass fibre, what sort of amounts do you buy them in, enough for one board?

On homeblown it has 1kg, 2.5kg etc. Do you think i should buy enough for a few boards?

[scuba steve]

One final question: When you buy resin and the catalyst and the glass fibre, what sort of amounts do you buy them in, enough for one board?

On homeblown it has resin in 1kg, 2.5kg etc. Do you think i should buy enough for a few boards?

[kitesurfer]

Seabase are cheaper but homeblown have a better range of blanks at the moment. And no i shape all my boards from scratch and i buy my resin and stuff in bulk. The coice is yours really but i would suggest buying enought for one board and then if you get the bug then think about buying in larger quantities.

KS